It’s hard to find a facet of magic that Luke Dancy is unfamiliar with. And that applies to things that have nothing to do with magic — seemingly.

Luke has more than 25 years of experience as a magic creator, consultant and performer. But his magic has also helped him found a marketing company — he is the founder of Social Mischief. It’s such a great fit that it makes us wonder how more magicians haven’t dived into the field.

“I’ve talked to a lot of friends in the marketing world and it seems to be a natural fit for me as I create magic for other magicians and for television,” Luke said. “It’s really no different than creating a campaign for a brand or specific product. Marketing for me is a way to exploit those creative ideas and thoughts for the business world.”

Luke brings his marketing magic to Ellusionist: Last week he joined our staff as marketing manager. He’ll be actively involved on our website and social networks, fueling new promos and interacting with customers.

Luke’s first effect, Misprint, is an all-time best-seller for Elmwood Magic, and he has created effects for other magic sites, such as Penguin Magic. But a significant amount of work has gone into making tricks for other magicians. Most notably, Criss Angel: Much of Luke’s work can be seen in the fourth, fifth and sixth seasons of “Mindfreak.”

His creations encapsulate a wide variety of work, from sleights to devices. Dancy has never been afraid of a gimmick or gaff when trying to create an incredible illusion.

“I’m a firm believer that there are some things you just can’t do without the help of a gaff,” he said. “I take whatever means possible to get the effect that I’m looking for. When you take something like sleight of hand and mix it sparingly with gaffs, real magic starts to happen.”

It’s one thing to create, publish and release your own creation to the world, but it’s another to create for the fast-paced environment of a TV show. He said working as a consultant was an incredibly rewarding experience.

“But don’t kid yourself. It’s A LOT of work,” Luke said. “Being creative isn’t something that just happens when you decide to turn it on, so you definitely need to be in the right frame of mind and make it a way of life.”

That creative path includes music and a notebook for Luke. He said the right music helps him get in the zone and unlocks extra energy during a creative session. He also keeps a notebook, and writes down every idea he has. Even if the ideas don’t make much sense now, they will one day.

Pushing that magic into the field of marketing might seem like a no-brainer. But Luke said that while the two fields live in the same city, they also live in different neighborhoods.

But Luke found a way to make it work.

“My magic background definitely gives me an edge over the other people in the marketing world,” he said. “First, people find it to be really interesting, which is a great conversation starter. But it also shows them that I can be creative and think outside the box in fun and unique ways. Most people in business are used to doing things the traditional way.”

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